The aerodynamics are all wrong. They wear flip flops and drive single-speed fat tire bikes. They are 25 of the most passionate competitors joining 10,000 cyclists from all over the world on Sat., July 9 for the 200-mile Seattle-to-Portland Bicycle Classic. The beach cruiser team, sponsored by Snohomish-based meal assembly chain Dream Dinners, is taking to the streets all in the name of a good cause: to raise funds and awareness for Prader-Willi syndrome, something most people don't know about and fewer understand.

This marks the sixth year the The Cruiser Bike Team for Prader-Willi has made the grueling ride, pushing themselves to the limit on 42-pound cruisers, while other riders whizz by on lightweight, speedy street bikes. Despite the tough trek, team members do it with a smile on their face, knowing their efforts are helping families struggling with Prader-Willi, a rare and complex genetic disorder that affects appetite, growth, metabolism and overall development in children.

"The cruiser ride is a special experience, like nothing else," said team captain Mike Kuna, who has a family member with the syndrome, and who has recruited many of his colleagues in the medical sales industry to make up the team. "We did the first ride in 2006 with just two of us, and it's grown every single year, with most riders returning year after year to participate. We used to get a lot of laughs from other riders, but as word has spread about why we're out here, we get a lot of thumbs ups and cheers, and that keeps us going."

The riders are traveling from all around the Western states to participate, and hail from Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Ohio and Arizona. They will begin the ride at 4 a.m. on Saturday morning July 9, and anticipate they will arrive in Portland around 3 p.m. Sunday, including an overnight rest. They estimate their total riding time on the cruisers as 22 hours.

For its part, Dream Dinners supports the team by providing a number of the bikes, helping plan logistics, and manning team support vehicles along the course. In addition, Dream Dinners collects funds to support the team and its cause through its Living the Dream Foundation, where anyone can donate online at: http://bit.ly/DreamDinnersLivingTheDreamFoundation. Throughout the last six years, Dream Dinners and the riders have together raised more than $50,000 to support Prader-Willi research and help improve the lives of those with the syndrome.

ABOUT DREAM DINNERSFounded in 2002, Dream Dinners, Inc. is the recognized originator of the $300 million meal assembly industry. Headquartered in Snohomish, Wash., Dream Dinners locations provide guests monthly menus to select from, then procure and prepare all ingredients in advance, so guests can assemble dozens of meals in about an hour, then take home to freeze. With more than 100 franchises in 30 states, Dream Dinners saves its guests both valuable time and money, and focuses on bringing families back to the dinner table with healthful, delicious and easy-to-fix meals. www.dreamdinners.com